Tracy and Amy to the rescue as Storm Doris strikes

Staff from Walsall Healthcare’s community nursing team came to the aid of a pensioner who was blown off her feet by Storm Doris today.

Community Staff Nurse Tracy Higgins and second year Student Nurse Amy Sanders had just finished seeing a patient at home around lunchtime today when panicking passers-by ran to them for help.

“They were shouting that an elderly woman had fallen over by the Sikh temple near to Broadway Medical Centre where we are based,” explained Tracy, who has worked for Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust for almost 15 years.

“We went to help the lady who told us she was 74 and had heart problems. She had been knocked completely off her feet by the wind and fell flat down on her side, poor thing.

“She was complaining that she had pain in her side and it’s likely that she had bruised her ribs when she fell.”

Tracy and Amy checked that an ambulance was on its way then stayed with the woman, who also told them that she had a brain tumour, to reassure her.

“We made a barrier around her with our own bodies to try and shelter her from the wind, and ensure her privacy and tried to keep her as warm as possible,” said Amy.

“Someone fetched a blanket from the nearby Sikh temple where people were also really kind and Tracy and I just tried to comfort her.”

Tracy added that the woman’s husband was in a state of shock after seeing what had happened and she and Amy tried to reassure him too.

“The wind was so strong, trees have been coming down everywhere, but to think the weather could cause potentially serious injuries to someone just going about their business is shocking.”